Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken with Sage

Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken with Sage - a flavourful way to roast a whole chicken that's pretty impressive to carve at the table too; making great for everything from weekday suppers to dinner parties.

Course
Dinner

Cuisine
North American

Prep Time15minutes

Cook Time1hour15minutes

Total Time1hour30minutes

Servings4Servings

AuthorBarry C. Parsons

Ingredients

1whole chicken about 3-4 lbs

1tablespoonextra virgin olive oil

1lemon thinly sliced

salt and pepper to season

For the Lemon Garlic Sage Butter

⅓cupsoftened butter

3cloveschopped garlic

2teaspoonschopped fresh sage or ½ tsp ground sage

½tspfinely minced lemon zest

pinch salt and pepper

Instructions

Wash and pat dry the skin and cavity of the chicken. Season the cavity with salt and pepper.

Loosen the skin covering the breast and legs of the chicken by gently pushing your fingers between the skin and the meat, being careful not to tear the skin.

Mix together all of the ingredients for the Lemon Garlic Sage Butter

Stuff the butter under the skin, covering as much of the legs, thighs and breast as possible.

Place the lemon slices under the skin as well, on top of the butter. Use half slices if necessary to cover some areas.

Truss the chicken by tucking the wings under the bird and tying the legs together with butcher string. Rub the entire outside of the chicken with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper.

Roast on a rack in an uncovered roasting pan in a 425 degree oven for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the skin is evenly brown and the leg joints move easily. The internal temperature of the thickest part of the thighs and breasts should read 170-175 degrees F on a meat thermometer

Allow chicken to rest for 10 - 15 minutes before carving and serving.

Recipe Notes

You can easily substitute thyme or summer savoury as a milder flavoured herb option if you prefer. I've used both over the years and they are equally as delicious in this recipe.